Written Answers Friday 6 February 2009

Scottish Executive

Cancer

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-19999 by Nicola Sturgeon on 28 January 2009, whether it will outline the timescale for the appraisal process.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) aims to issue advice to NHSScotland on all newly licensed medicines as soon as it is practical to do so after the medicine is available for use.

  The appraisal process takes 18 weeks from receipt of the manufacturer’s product submission to publication of advice on the SMC website.

  More information on the stages and timescales for the SMC assessment process is available on the SMC website http://www.scottishmedicines.org.uk/.

European Funding

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what additional European Social Fund money it calculates it has become entitled to since August 2008.

Jim Mather: Scotland was allocated €269.9 million for the Lowlands and Uplands Scotland European Social Fund (ESF) 2007 - 2013 programme, and €52.2 million for the Highlands and Islands ESF programme.

  The value of these programmes in sterling using the monthly European Commission conversion rate at August 2008 and at January 2009 is as follows:

  August 2008 Lowlands and Uplands Scotland ESF programme value was £212,346,805

  January 2009 Lowlands and Uplands Scotland ESF programme value is £262,956,982

  August 2008 Highlands and Islands ESF programme value was £41,026,558

  January 2009 Highlands and Islands ESF programme value was £50,804,720.

  The increase in the sterling value of the two ESF programmes from August 2008 to January 2009 is £60,388,339.

  The increase in the sterling value of the two ESF programmes from August 2008 to January 2009 is £60,388,339. The government will use all of the available funding to help people in Scotland facing the need for additional help with employability and skills training due to the current serious economic situation.

European Funding

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much European Social Fund (ESF) money has been received since May 2007 and how it has been allocated, broken down by date, project and local authority area.

Jim Mather: During this period the following 2000-06 ESF programmes were running:

  the Highlands and Islands Objective 1 programme for which the Scottish Government was allocated €62.3 million;

  the Objective 2 (West of Scotland) ESF programme for which the Scottish Government was allocated €66.9 million, and the Objective 3 ESF programme for which the Scottish Government was allocated €520.5 million.

  In addition, for part of the period, the following 2007-13 ESF programmes were running:

  the Highlands and Islands ESF programme for which the Scottish Government was allocated €52.2 million, and

  the Lowlands and Uplands ESF programme for which the Scottish Government was allocated €269.9 million.

  Between 1 May 2007 and 12 Jan 2009 European Social Fund payments totalling £78,376,067 have been made to 287 organisations running 1,414 projects receiving ESF grant assistance across the whole of Scotland.

  It is not possible to break down the payments made to organisations by local authority area of the final beneficiary.

European Funding

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce how any additional European Social Fund (ESF) money received will be used.

Jim Mather: One hundred and fifty-two applications for ESF grants towards individual projects are currently being considered under the current round of the 2007-13 programmes.

  Announcements on which of these projects will be offered ESF funding will be made following the meetings of the respective Programme Monitoring Committees in spring 2009.

European Funding

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to use additional European Social Fund money to supplement skills and training programmes.

Jim Mather: In Scotland, Priority 2 of the Highlands and Islands European Social Fund (ESF) programme 2007 to 2013, and Priority 2 of the Lowlands and Uplands Scotland ESF 2007 to 2013 programme are both aimed at improving the skills of the workforce, increasing productivity, adaptability, inclusion and entrepreneurial expertise.

  To date, 46 individual skills and training projects have been approved across Scotland, and applications for funding a further 36 such projects are currently being considered.

European Funding

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of whether additional funds in sterling could have been accrued through revaluation of Scotland’s allocation of the European Social Fund.

Jim Mather: The value of the Scottish European Social Fund (ESF) programmes is set in euros. The total euro allocation for the 2007 to 2013 H&I ESF programme was €52,150,195. The total euro allocation for the 2007 to 2013 LUPS ESF programme was €269,920,942. All requests for repayments by countries go to the Commission in euros and are paid in euros.

  As the exchange rate between the euro and sterling fluctuates, the value of these programmes and the amounts repaid by the Commission also fluctuates and are calculated in sterling monthly using a rate provided by the European Commission.

  The Scottish Government bears the exchange rate risk from the date when funds are allocated to a project up to the point at which the project has run and their claim for re-imbursement has been paid by the managing authority. At that point the exchange rate is locked at the European Commission rate applicable to the month of payment. It is therefore very important for organisations awarded ESF grants, such as the Community Planning Partnerships, to spend and claim to agreed timescales.

Extradition

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence Scottish law officers must present to US authorities before a warrant for extradition to Scotland from the United States of America can be requested or issued.

Kenny MacAskill: Extradition from the United States of America is governed by an Extradition Treaty between the United Kingdom and the United States of America. It provides that requests for extradition require to be supported by:

  an accurate description of the person sought;

  a statement of the facts of the offence;

  the relevant law applicable to the offence, and

  the relevant law relating to punishment for the offence.

  If the extradition is requested for someone who is sought for prosecution then additionally, the following requires to be provided:

  a copy of the warrant;

  a copy of the Indictment, and

  information which provides the basis to believe that the person sought committed the offence.

  If the extradition relates to someone who has already been convicted of the offence then:

  information that the person sought is the person to whom the conviction applies;

  a copy of the conviction;

  a copy of the sentence imposed (and if the person has been sentenced, the extent to which the sentence has been carried out), and

  in the case of a person convicted in absentia, information regarding the circumstances under which the person was absent from the proceedings should also be provided.

Extradition Act 2003

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals have been extradited from Scotland to the United States of America under the terms of the Extradition Act 2003.

Kenny MacAskill: Two people have been extradited from Scotland to the United States of America under the terms of the Extradition Act 2003.

Extradition Act 2003

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals who were extradited from Scotland to the United States of America under the terms of the Extradition Act 2003 have been exonerated of the charges for which they were extradited.

Kenny MacAskill: We do not hold information on how many individuals extradited from Scotland to the United States of America under the terms of the Extradition Act 2003 have been exonerated.

Extradition Act 2003

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many times the extradition of American citizens to Scotland has been sought under the terms of the extradition treaty between the United Kingdom and the United States of America and for what crimes extradition was sought in each case.

Kenny MacAskill: Only one outgoing request has been made to the United States from Scotland in terms of the Extradition Act 2003. That case involved a contravention of the Road Traffic Act 1988. The request was successful.

Extradition Act 2003

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-19849 by Kenny MacAskill on 28 January 2009, what countries have been designated by the Secretary of State for the purposes of the Extradition Act 2003.

Kenny MacAskill: Territories designated under Part 2 of the Extradition Act 2003 are either members of the 1957 European Convention on Extradition; the London Scheme for Extradition within the Commonwealth, or are parties to bilateral extradition treaties with the UK.

  http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/operational-policing/european-convention-extradition.

  http://www.thecommonwealth.org/shared_asp_files/uploadedfiles/{56F55E5D-1882-4421-9CC1-71634DF17331}_London_Scheme.pdf.

  The countries involved are:

  Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cook Islands, Croatia, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, The Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Haiti, Iceland, India, Iraq, Israel, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Macedonia (FYR), Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Nauru, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Russian Federation, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United States of America, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Western Samoa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

  The UK can also have extradition relations with parties to international conventions where the UK is also a member, which contain extradition provisions relating to specific very serious crimes. A list of the territories designated in this way (under section 193 of the Extradition Act), together with the conventions they have been designated under, can be found on the Office of Public Sector Information website. The relevant statutory instruments are 2003 No. 3334; 2004 No. 1898; 2005 Nos. 365 and 2036; 2006 No. 3451,2007 No. 2238 and 2008 No. 1589. http://www.opsi.gov.uk/.

Extradition Act 2003

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to questions S3W-19850 and S3W-19852 by Kenny MacAskill on 28 January 2009, whether these answers indicate that Scottish ministers have no powers to exercise their discretion in respect of the granting of a particular extradition order under the terms of the Extradition Act 2003.

Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-19852 on 28 January 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx . The answer to question S3W-19852 outlined the circumstance in which ministers are prohibited from ordering a person’s extradition.

Forth Crossing

Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the reduction in the cost estimate for the Forth Replacement Crossing is due to its choice of funding mechanism.

Stewart Stevenson: The quoted range of outturn prices for the project represents the estimate of the cost for the delivery of the project by the most efficient procurement means. The choice of procurement options other than a publicly funded design and build contract would increase the cost above this level and reduce the certainty of delivery.

Forth Crossing

Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence exists to show that the reduction in the cost estimate for the Forth Replacement Crossing is due to its choice of funding mechanism, as indicated by the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change during the Forth Crossing debate on 15 January 2009 ( Official Report c.14132).

Stewart Stevenson: The value for money of a range of funding and procurement options was tested by Transport Scotland and their consultants using the prevailing view of the cost of finance in autumn 2008. Both a design and build contract with conventional funding and a PPP/NPD privately financed contract were considered to provide good value for money.

  Changes to government accounting practice to be introduced by the UK Government in April 2009 had made the latter unaffordable whilst the adverse effect of the financial market since last autumn provides evidence to question the likely value for money that might be achieved from using private funding within the timescale of promoting this competition.

Forth Crossing

Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18821 by Stewart Stevenson on 14 January 2009, whether the reduction in the cost estimate for the Forth Replacement Crossing is wholly attributable to the reduced width of the bridge, the use of ITS and more refined estimating in light of further detailed surveys, investigations and design development.

Stewart Stevenson: The new proposals come within an outturn price range of £1.7 billion to £2.3 billion, an average saving of around £1.7 billion on the previous estimate of £3.2 billion to £4.2 billion.

  This has come principally from:

  1. the reduced cost for the new bridge, which with the use of the existing bridge for public transport, has allowed the full functionality originally announced for the crossing in a narrower structure [25% price reduction], and

  2. a reduction in the extent of road construction through the use of Intelligent Transport Systems [50% price reduction].

  The overall reduction to the base costing from these elements is 35% within a total reduction of 44%. The remaining savings come from refinements in risk and optimism bias which has been possible as a result of the additional survey, investigations and design which have been undertaken.

Forth Crossing

Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it would cost to build a multi-modal element into the Forth Replacement Crossing during construction.

Stewart Stevenson: The additional cost of the third corridor to accommodate multimodal traffic, which was part of the original proposal announced in December 2007, were put at between £450 million and £580 million in 2016 outturn prices.

Health

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has produced timescales for any merger of the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland with NHS Quality Improvement Scotland.

Shona Robison: Yes. The mechanism for the creation of the new scrutiny bodies will be the legislative provisions included in the Public Services Reform Bill which it is now proposed will be introduced to Parliament in May this year. Implementation work is under way in order to establish the bodies by April 2011.

Health

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of meningitis B there have been in each year since 1999.

Shona Robison: The number of meningitis B cases reported to Health Protection Scotland (HPS) each year from 1999 is set out in the following table. Figures reflect the number of reported cases of meningitis B to the end of December each year.

  Number of Meningitis B cases reported to HPS

  

 Year
 


 1999
 105


 2000
 117


 2001
 106


 2002
 62


 2003
 86


 2004
 68


 2005
 66


 2006
 63


 2007
 73


 2008*
 57



  Note: *2008 data is still provisional and may be subject to change.

Healthcare Associated Infection

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to ensure that there is a standardised data collection system for recording toxin testing for Clostridium difficile.

Nicola Sturgeon: A standardised data collection protocol for recording Clostridium difficile toxin testing was introduced in October 2007 and can be found on the Health Protection Scotland (HPS) website at:

  http://www.documents.hps.scot.nhs.uk/hai/sshaip/guidelines/clostridium-difficile/cdiff-protocol-v2-2007-10.pdf.

Justice

Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been fined for littering offences in each of the last five years for which information is available, broken down by local authority.

Fergus Ewing: The available information is given in the following table. The number of fixed penalty notices for littering, issued by police and local authorities under their respective powers in Part IV of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, is not held centrally.

  Persons Fined for Litter Offences1 in Scottish Courts by Approximate Local Authority Area2, 2002-03 to 2006-07

  

 Local Authority Area
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07


 Aberdeen City 
 -
 -
 1
 -
 -


 Aberdeenshire 
 1
 1
 -
 -
 -


 Angus
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -


 Argyll and Bute 
 -
 -
 1
 -
 -


 Clackmannanshire 
 -
 -
 1
 -
 -


 Dumfries and Galloway
 1
 -
 -
 1
 -


 Dundee City 
 3
 5
 2
 -
 -


 East Ayrshire 
 -
 1
 1
 3
 11


 East Dunbartonshire
 2
 1
 1
 -
 -


 East Lothian
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -


 East Renfrewshire 
 -
 1
 -
 -
 -


 Edinburgh, City of 
 1
 -
 -
 -
 2


 Eilean Siar
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -


 Falkirk 
 1
 -
 2
 1
 2


 Fife
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -


 Glasgow City 
 5
 2
 5
 4
 6


 Highland 
 1
 -
 2
 1
 1


 Inverclyde 
 3
 -
 1
 4
 -


 Midlothian 
 -
 -
 -
 -
 1


 Moray 
 -
 -
 1
 -
 1


 North Ayrshire 
 1
 2
 2
 -
 2


 North Lanarkshire 
 1
 1
 9
 7
 7


 Orkney Islands
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -


 Perth and Kinross
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -


 Renfrewshire 
 1
 -
 -
 2
 2


 Scottish Borders 
 2
 -
 3
 -
 1


 Shetland Islands
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -


 South Ayrshire 
 2
 1
 2
 -
 8


 South Lanarkshire 
 5
 5
 4
 4
 6


 Stirling 
 1
 -
 -
 1
 1


 West Dunbartonshire
 -
 2
 -
 -
 -


 West Lothian 
 -
 1
 -
 2
 -


 Scotland
 31
 23
 38
 30
 51



  Notes:

  1. Where main offence.

  2. Incorporates an approximate mapping of sheriff courts into local authority areas. Some sheriff courts will deal with cases from more than one local authority area. Four local authority areas, namely East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Midlothian and North Ayrshire, do not contain a sheriff court.

Justice

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has issued guidance to police forces on test purchases of knives in the last year.

Kenny MacAskill: Guidance is available in A Practical Guide to Test Purchasing in Scotland which can be accessed on the Scottish Government website. This guidance, which draws on the experiences gained from the Scottish test purchasing pilots on tobacco and alcohol, was developed in conjunction with the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, the Society of Chief Officers for Trading Standards in Scotland, business representatives and health interest groups and agencies.

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2007/10/25155751/0.

Justice

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is offering police forces in relation to the conduct of test purchases of knives.

Kenny MacAskill: The decision to undertake test purchases, whether as a co-ordinated initiative or in response to specific intelligence, is an operational matter for police forces.

Justice

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to curb the supply of knives to young people.

Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government is pursuing a number of measures to curb the supply of knives to young people.

  The Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Act 2007 has given ministers the power to introduce a licensing scheme for knife dealers. As part of the licensing scheme, dealers will be required to keep records of how proof of age was established. Our consultation on draft regulations to establish the scheme concluded at the end of October. We shall announce our response shortly then bring forward an order for parliamentary consideration.

  In addition, test purchasing of age restricted products is a useful tool available to the police to crack down on those who sell knives to young people. The decision to undertake test purchases whether as a co-ordinated initiative or in response to specific intelligence is an operational matter for police forces.

Justice

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the membership is of the Victim Steering Group.

Kenny MacAskill: The organisations invited to the last meeting of the Victim Steering Group, which was held in January 2007, were: the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, the Association of Directors of Social Work, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, the District Courts Association (now the Scottish Justices Association), Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, the Judicial Studies Committee, the Law Society of Scotland, Scotland’s Campaign against Irresponsible Drivers, the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration, the Scottish Court Service, the Scottish Prison Service, the Sheriff’s Association, the Victims’ Forum and Victim Support Scotland.

Justice

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent by its Justice Analytical Services Division on consultancy fees in each year since 2003-04.

Kenny MacAskill: The detailed information requested is currently being collated and I will write to the member as soon as the information is available and a copy will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 47537).

Justice

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of consultancy contracts was issued for acceptance by its Justice Analytical Services Division without involving an element of competitive tendering in each year since 2003-04.

Kenny MacAskill: The detailed information requested is currently being collated and I will write to the member as soon as the information is available and a copy will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 47538).

Justice

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many contracts were awarded by its Justice Analytical Services Division to PA Consulting in each year since 2003-04 and of what value.

Kenny MacAskill: The detailed information requested is currently being collated and I will write to the member as soon as the information is available and a copy will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 47539).

Justice

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list consultancy firms that were awarded consultancy contracts with regard to its Justice Analytical Services Division in each year since 2003-04.

Kenny MacAskill: The detailed information requested is currently being collated and I will write to the member as soon as the information is available and a copy will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 47540).

Justice

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much each contracted consultancy firm has received from the Justice Analytical Services Division since 2003-04.

Kenny MacAskill: The detailed information requested is currently being collated and I will write to the member as soon as the information is available and a copy will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 47541).

Mental Health

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation it undertook with stakeholders prior to announcing the proposal to merge the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland with NHS Quality Improvement Scotland and the Care Commission, listing (a) who was consulted, (b) the method of consultation and (c) when it took place.

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish details of any consultations it has had with stakeholders in respect of the proposed merger of the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland, NHS Quality Improvement Scotland and the Care Commission.

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with key stakeholders about the proposed merger of the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland with NHS Quality Improvement Scotland.

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation it has undertaken and what further consultation it intends to undertake on the proposed merger of the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland with NHS Quality Improvement Scotland.

Shona Robison: The proposals supporting the First Minister’s statement to the Scottish Parliament on 30 January 2008 on Delivering More Effective Government indicated that the future of the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland (MWCS) would be reviewed as part of the consideration of the scrutiny and complaints landscape. The follow-up announcement on 6 November by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth announcing the outcome of this consideration enables discussions on the proposed changes to be undertaken with the bodies and external stakeholders.

  Engagement with external stakeholders has already begun and further events are planned.

Mental Health

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial savings it would expect to make by merging the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland with NHS Quality Improvement Scotland and the Care Commission.

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what benefits and enhancements, other than financial savings, it envisages achieving in merging the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland with NHS Quality Improvement Scotland and the Care Commission that could not be achieved by closer joint working.

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what functions of the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland (MWCS) are to be subsumed within any new organisation resulting from the proposed merger of MWCS with NHS Quality Improvement Scotland and the Care Commission, rather than retained within an independent section, unit, directorate or division of that organisation.

Shona Robison: The new bodies will be empowered to plan and work together collaboratively on, for instance, joint inspections in a manner which is not achievable with their current legislative powers.

  The changes proposed envisage the creation of two new scrutiny bodies which will carry out the functions of the existing bodies including the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland. It will be for the new bodies themselves to decide how they are organised to carry out those functions.

  The financial costs, savings and benefits for the creation of the new scrutiny bodies will be set out in full in the Financial Memorandum to the Public Services Reform Bill, in which the legislative provisions will be included.

Mental Health

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that the independence of the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland will be retained in any new structure arising from its proposed merger with NHS Quality Improvement Scotland and the Care Commission.

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will keep the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland independent of the NHS while keeping NHS Quality Improvement Scotland within the NHS, if the two organisations are merged.

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to go ahead with the proposal to merge the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland with NHS Quality Improvement Scotland.

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the merging of an independent protective body such as the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland (MWCS) with NHS Quality Improvement Scotland would create a conflict of interest in relation to the MWCS’s independence from government.

Shona Robison: Ministers have been made aware of the views of the affected bodies and their stakeholders on these proposals which include concerns about the continued independence of the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland, particularly in carrying out its safeguarding role. The legislative proposals to be carried forward for the new bodies will ensure the safeguarding functions currently carried out by the MWCS will be maintained.

Mobile Phones

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to protect children against any health risks from mobile phones in light of recent actions in France.

Shona Robison: The UK Health Protection Agency maintains an overview of emerging research on the health effects of mobile phones. They advise that no new evidence has emerged to alter their current advice. In keeping with that advice, the UK Chief Medical Officers strongly advise that where children and young people do use mobile phones, they should be encouraged to use them for essential purposes only and to keep all calls short. The Scottish Government considers that this approach maintains an appropriate balance between individual responsibility and regulatory control.

Public Transport

Margaret Curran (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much Strathclyde Partnership for Transport has spent on public affairs and public relations over the last two years.

Stewart Stevenson: The figures are as follows:

  Public Affairs

  2006-07 - £146,169

  2007-08 - £124,495.

  Public Relations

  2006-07 - £43,061

  2007-08 - £69,280.

  All figures include internal staff salaries costs.

  Source: Strathclyde Partnership for Transport.

Roads

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18978 by Stewart Stevenson on 14 January 2009, whether any improvements to the junction of the A90 and A96 trunk roads at the Haudagain roundabout will be funded by Scottish ministers after the de-trunking of the A90 between Charleston and Blackdog and, if so, what the funding method will be.

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18978 by Stewart Stevenson on 14 January 2009, whether it will give support to Aberdeen City Council for improvements to the junction of the A90 and A96 trunk roads following the de-trunking of the A90 between Charleston and Blackdog.

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18978 by Stewart Stevenson on 14 January 2009 and the commitment made by the First Minister in The Press and Journal on 18 December 2008 that "roundabout improvements will be paid for and delivered before the road is de-trunked", whether it expects improvements at the junction of the A90 and A96 trunk roads to be paid for and delivered between the date of completion of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route and the following 1 April and, if so, when contracts for this work will need to be placed.

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18978 by Stewart Stevenson on 14 January 2009 and the commitment made by the First Minister in The Press and Journal on 18 December 2008 that "It will not be (down to) Aberdeen city. It will be the Scottish Government that will do the work and then it will be handed over as an improved roundabout", when work at the junction of the A90 and A96 trunk roads is expected to (a) begin and (b) be completed.

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18978 by Stewart Stevenson on 14 January 2009 and the comment made by the First Minister in The Press and Journal on 18 December 2008 that "the work will be done but let’s get the bypass done first, it would be daft to do it the other way round", whether work on improvements to the junction of A90 and A96 trunk roads at the Haudagain roundabout will begin before, during or after completion of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government has assumed responsibility for improvements to the Haudagain roundabout. If the improvements are still underway on the date of the road being detrunked, we will undertake to pay for the completion. The method of funding could take a variety of forms.

Roads

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18978 by Stewart Stevenson on 14 January 2009, whether the de-trunking of the A90 between Charleston and Blackdog is conditional on the local authority carrying out improvements at the junction of the A90 and A96.

Stewart Stevenson: No.

Scots Language

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions (a) officials and (b) Scottish ministers have met representatives of (i) Scottish Language Dictionaries, (ii) the Scots Language Centre and (iii) Itchy Coo since May 2008.

Linda Fabiani: During this period officials and Ministers from the Scottish Government, as well as officials from the Scottish Arts Council, have met representatives from these organisations on a number of occasions.

Scots Language

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the membership is of the Scots Language Audit Research Advisory Group.

Linda Fabiani: The Research Advisory Group comprises the following members:

  Janet Ruiz – Principal Research Officer, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Analytical Services, Scottish Government

  Julie Carr – Senior Research Officer, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Analytical Services, Scottish Government

  Michael Napier – Policy Officer, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Directorate, Scottish Government

  Emma Wilson, Policy Adviser, Schools Directorate, Scottish Government

  Matthew Fitt, Itchy Coo

  James Robertson, Itchy Coo.

Scots Language

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions the Scots Language Audit Research Advisory Group has met.

Linda Fabiani: The Research Advisory Group met four times in an advisory capacity to facilitate the research process for the audit and to provide relevant contacts in the Scots language sector to the contracted researcher.

Scots Language

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the recommendations of the Scots Language Audit Research Advisory Group.

Linda Fabiani: It is not within the remit of the Research Advisory Group to make recommendations in respect of the audit. The audit report and findings were published on 27 January and can be viewed on the Scottish Government’s website at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/01/23133726/0.

  The Scottish Government is hosting a one-day conference at the University of Stirling on 9 February to formally present the findings of the audit to interested parties and to enable discussion of possible ways forward for promoting and developing the Scots language in future.

Scottish Government

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many opinion polls on issues other than voting intentions it has commissioned since May 2007 and at what cost.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government does not commission opinion polls. We follow the standard definition of opinion polls as being a snapshot of public opinion around voting intention. Information listing social research projects commissioned by the Scottish Government since May 2007, including costs, is published on the Scottish Government website at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Research/projects/social.

Wildlife Crime

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-19151 and S3W-19152 by Michael Russell on 15 January 2009, what the terms of reference are for the legislation, regulation and guidance sub-group of the Partnership Against Wildlife Crime Scotland and when it is expected to produce recommendations about legislation relating to snaring.

Michael Russell: The Legislation, Regulation and Guidance Sub-group of PAW Scotland has as its remit "to review the operation in practice of wildlife legislation and regulations; identify areas for improvement and make recommendations. To produce guidance for wildlife crime law enforcement practitioners, land managers and other countryside users". The group plans to produce recommendations to ministers in time to allow decisions to be taken before the summer recess.

Correction

The reply to question S3W-19167 which was originally answered on 19 January 2009, has been corrected: see page 5386 or http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/pqa/wa-09/wa0202.htm.

  The reply to question S3W-19391 which was originally answered on 15 January 2009, has been corrected: see page 5402 or http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/pqa/wa-09/wa0204.htm.